 merrie says: Russia makes some good equipment, such as air-defence systems. The infusion of money helps it exercise its atrophied military muscles. A growing proportion of soldiers are volunteers (known as kontraktniki), who are more disciplined than much-abused conscripts. The slow move to a smaller, all-professional army in place of the million-strong, largely conscript force is made more urgent by Russia’s demographic decline. The forces that invaded Georgia were largely made up of professionals. Despite problems in keeping them supplied, they were for the most part better behaved than the South Ossetian militiamen who looted and destroyed Georgian villages. The Russian army seems to have fought better in Georgia than it did in either of the post-Soviet wars in Chechnya, the now-subdued breakaway province across the border from Georgia. Indeed, the forces sent into Georgia included the Vostok battalion, made up of pro-Kremlin Chechens. .....continued “Russian forces are not modern. Some of their weapons date back to the 1960s and 1970s. But that does not mean they cannot kill you,” says Pavel Felgenhauer, a Russian defence writer for Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper. The Russians may not be a match for even a medium-sized Western army, say experts, but they are good enough to scare the poor, post-Soviet states in the “near abroad”. In the words of a senior American official, “the war in Georgia does not show the Russians have greater military capability, but it demonstrates a greater willingness to use force.” NATO will have to reassess its assumptions about Russia, albeit cautiously to “avoid creating a self-fulfilling prophecy”, as t... The Russians may not be a match for even a medium-sized Western army,Which is why Georgia, Poland and others who wish to join NATO should be given priority and allowed entry ASAP. If Putin is truly pushing for a war with NATO he should be obliged if that's what it takes to stop his aggression. This assuming that our NATO "allies" would actually flex their backbones, stand up erect and back their commitment with their military forces which I'm not too sure of. correction - Poland already member of NATO - Is NATO separate from UNIFIL, those worthless UN troops in S. Lebanon, who are Hezbollah supporters? |
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